Is it cheaper for MPs to fly VIP jets, as Christopher Pyne claims?

The use of a VIP jet to bring a group of Western Australian Liberal MPs and members of their staff and families to Canberra for the opening of Federal Parliament has reignited a debate over politicians' travel entitlements.

While the VIP jet cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, Government frontbencher Christopher Pyne says it may have been cheaper than commercial travel.

Reporter: "[Federal Liberal MP]Don Randall is coming here with his family along with other MPs from Western Australia on a Boeing business jet - a VIP - that's costing $30,000... that's just for the fuel."

Mr Pyne: "It's probably cheaper than bringing them all individually on Qantas or Virgin."

ABC Fact Check examines whether the VIP jet could have cost less than the commercial airlines.

The claim: Christopher Pyne says a VIP Boeing business jet flight from Perth to Canberra taken by a group of WA Liberal MPs was probably cheaper than a commercial flight.

The verdict: Commercial fares would have cost a maximum of $56,260 whereas the cost of sending the VIP jet to Perth would have been a minimum of $140,483.

VIP jets or 'special purpose aircraft'

The Royal Australian Air Force operates five "special purpose aircraft" from Number 34 Squadron at Fairbairn airbase in Canberra. The VIP fleet includes two Boeing 737-BBJs (Boeing business jets) which can carry up to 30 passengers and six crew, and three Challenger CL-604 aircraft which can carry nine passengers and three crew.

The RAAF says Number 34 Squadron provides between 1,200 and 1,800 special purpose flights each year, and the Department of Defence is contracted to provide 1,214 Boeing 737 hours and 2,400 CL-604 hours each year.

The flight from Perth to Canberra on November 10 used a Boeing 737-BBJ. The flight manifest for the VIP jet that carried the WA MPs, obtained by the West Australian newspaper, showed the plane was empty when it flew from Canberra to Perth and was due to have 26 passengers when it returned to Canberra.

Travel entitlements

Members of federal parliament are entitled to travel on official business and the maximum they can spend is the cost of a business-class airfare.

If a commercial flight is not available there are provisions for special purpose aircraft flights approved by the Defence Minister or the Prime Minister, "special charter" flights approved by the Special Minister of State, or "electorate charters", the total cost of which depends on the size of a member's electorate.

There are limited entitlements for the MP's spouse, nominee and children to fly – also in business class.

According to 'guidelines for the use of special purpose aircraft', Defence will "continue to invoice the Department of Finance for the cost of travel by spouses or nominees, designated persons, dependent children and electorate office staff, on a monthly basis".

Running VIP aircraft

A Defence Department spokesperson told Fact Check the total cost of operating special purpose aircraft is comprised of variable "additional" and "fixed" costs. Additional costs are for fuel, landing fees and airport handling fees.

The department publishes a schedule of special purpose flights every six months and the most recent, for the second half of 2012, showed the "additional cost" was calculated at a rate of $3,450 per hour. The schedule shows it was common in that six-month period for VIP jets to fly empty one way to or from Perth.

Depending on the flight time, VIP trips from Canberra to Perth between June and December 2012 incurred "additional costs" of between $14,145 (for a 4.1-hour flight) and $18,285 (5.3 hours). For the return trip, the additional costs ranged from $11,385 (3.3 hours) and $13,110 (3.8 hours).

The "additional cost" of the November 10 VIP flight will not be known until the next schedule is tabled in the Senate in June 2014.

But based on the average additional costs in the most recent schedule and an average 8.25-hour round trip, the flight would have cost $28,462 in fuel and fees alone.

Fixed costs include the salaries of personnel and the lease of the aircraft and are funded out of the Defence budget, but the details are not released publicly.

However, department documents obtained under Freedom of Information and published by Fairfax Media show the annual lease of the VIP 737s in 2008 was $5,643,507 for BBJ-1 and $4,871,867 for BBJ-2.

Assuming the Department of Defence's 1,214 contracted hours for special purpose flights is evenly split between the two VIP 737s, and taking the lower 2008 annual leasing cost of $4,871,867, a conservative figure for leasing cost per contracted flight hour is $8,026. This equates to $66,215 for the average 8.25-hour return flight to Perth.

The documents also show that maintenance projects for the VIP fleet cost $20,066,102 in 2008. This equates to $5,552 per hour for the 3,614 contracted hours for the two Boeings and three Challenger planes. On this basis, the maintenance cost attributable to an average Canberra-Perth-Canberra flight is $45,806.

No figures are available for other expenses such as crew and catering.

Using commercial carriers

According to the Qantas website, a business class flight from Perth to Canberra via Sydney on QF580, leaving Perth at 11:10am on the Sunday after Mr Randall's flight, November 17, would have cost $1,960. Virgin Australia had VA572 departing Perth for Canberra via Sydney at 11:15am on the same day, costing $1,723.88 on a business saver fare, and $2,163.88 on a regular business class ticket.

Comparing the costs

On the basis that there were no passengers on the Canberra-Perth leg in November, there was no saving of commercial fares for that flight.

Assuming the 26 passengers on the manifest for the VIP jet had all been entitled to a business-class ticket from Perth to Canberra, that would have cost between $44,820 and $56,260 based on the range of fares advertised by Virgin and Qantas for November 17.

The VIP cost would have been much higher. Adding up the costs of fuel and landing fees, leasing the aircraft and maintaining the aircraft, an average 8.25-hour return flight from Canberra to Perth would cost $140,483.

This number is conservative, as it is based on 2012 figures for fuel and landing fees, and 2008 figures for leasing and maintenance costs. It does not include payments for crew and catering.

Even if the cost is calculated for the Perth-Canberra leg only, with an average flight time of 3.55 hours, it would have been $60,449.

The verdict

Mr Pyne says the VIP flight from Perth to Canberra was "probably cheaper" than Qantas or Virgin.

Comparable commercial fares would have cost a maximum of $56,260 whereas the cost of sending the VIP jet to Perth would have been a minimum of $140,483 before other costs are added.